


Not just a Pain for Humans

by Valdyr



Series: Not Just... [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Post-Episode: s03e16 No Rest For The Wicked, Pre-Episode: s04e01 Lazarus Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-08 23:28:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12264264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valdyr/pseuds/Valdyr
Summary: After Dean is dead, Sam remembers that Gabriel said he could have brought him back before Dean ever had to make a deal. Did that mean that he could bring Dean back now?





	1. Prologue

He shouldn't, he knew that, but who the fuck cared anyway?

So Sam lifted the next glass to his lips and pretty much up-ended it. He peered over to the bottle. There was actually still some amber liquid inside. Probably not enough to fill another glass, but some. Dean would have called it... Fuck. He needed a new bottle. Even drinking reminded him of Dean now. Aka the heap of shreds of rotting meat in the ground out there.

He hadn't burned him. He should have. Hunters were burned. But then again, there would be no vengeful spirit here. Nope, that one had already left the earth and was currently cooking down below. In hell. To be tortured forever. And all because of him, because Dean had saved him at the cost of his soul. Fuck, where was that other bottle!

So he got a new bottle, but it was a poor substitute for what he wanted. Just wine, no proper liquor. Who bought wine anyway? It had probably been a gift or something. But it would do. Except it was red. Ruby red. Urgh, he didn't want to think about her. Yeah, she was hot. And he did want to fuck something. Just rut something, rough and careless. To clear his head and loosen his tense muscles.

But he didn't want to add another monster to his list of lovers. Not after Gabe. Not after how that turned out. With watching Dean die over and over until it didn't even hurt anymore and then hurt again. To teach hm a lesson. A lesson he hadn't learned. Because in the end, the trickster had been right. He had tried everything, but at the end of the day, or year in that case, Dean had died all the same.

He hated the god more for being right. That bloody god whose memory still haunted him, complaining that he should have prayed to him. Assuring that he could have killed Azazel and brought Sam back from the dead without demaning a soul for it like the demon had.

...? ... ...???

His sluggish brain was slow to catch up through the haze of all the alcohol, but did manage in the end: The trickster had said that he could have brought him back from the dead. Did that mean that he could bring Dean back, too?

Ah, he never would. Even if he could. They had pretty much hated each other. Heck, Dean had killed him! Or, well, tried to kill him at least. But so had Sam and the god had not seemed overly bothered by the attempt. Then again, they had a different history together. But maybe he would bring Dean back for him?

No, never. He was just a monster that had had its fun with them and then left. Twice.

But then he remembered the sincere pain on Gabe's face when he he had warned Sam about the horror to come. Had that lesson, as terrible as receiving it had felt, just been the trickster trying to look out for him, despite his obvious anger? Were his feelings truly reciporated? Oh hell, he didn't even know for sure what his feelings were, so how could they be?

But his drunken mind wanted to believe. He thought about all the good things they had shared and yearned to just bathe in the Gabe's warmth and light again. Now he might hate himself for it in the morning, but he was too miserable to really care at the moment. His inhibitions were too low and his longing too great for him to be able to stop himself.

So Sam Winchester allowed himself to slip of his motel bed and landed first on his ass, but shifted around insecurely until he was more or less on his knees. He still wobbled a bit as he was too intoxicated to hold himself steady even that close to the ground, but nonetheless he began to pray. To Gabe, the trickster, his lover.

He wasn't sure if he was doing it right and he couldn't see the clock, so maybe Gabe stood him up - again - or it hadn't even been that long. He just knew that the room was taking on a serious tilt, or maybe his balance was off, but then he felt himself falling and while he couldn't actually tell which one, he firmly expected one side of his head and the shoulder belonging to it to start hurting from hitting thr ground.

And yet there was no pain. At the last moment a hand caught him and set him straight again. It was warm. Really nicely warm, so warm he wanted to burrow into it and never come out. But part of him realized that he should be alarmed. He wasn't and that was what really alarmed him, but this warmth just couldn't be passed up. Even though it had to belong to an intruder and thus likely a threat, since Sam was alone.

Or not? He looked up through glassy eyes and found himself staring straight into honeyed gold as deep as mountain caves.

"You came."

It was a bit slurry, but clearly still understood. He knew because those eyes sparked at that and a huge warm smile accompanied them now:

"Of course, my boy. You prayed, I listened. Of course, I came for you."


	2. Hate, Love or Both

Umm.... This was awkward.

A moment ago, he was blissed out drunk and on the verge of snuggling into Gabe and now he didn't know what to do with himself. The fucking trickster had magically sobered him up. Why?!!! Everything had been so simple. He has basked in his lover's mere presence. And now he was painfully aware of the complete situation and a monster was way too close for comfort. How should he react?

Thankfully Gabe noticed how the mood had turned and backed off to sit cross-legged in front of him. His aura still had something caring and paternal, but he had tuned it down a notch to appear more professional. He didn't regret sobering Sam, though. The boy had been a moment from snogging him straight into sexy times and with him that drunk, one could hardly speak of consent. Sam would only have hated him in the morning, even though he was an adorable drunk. But business first.

"Now that we are both in our right minds: Why did you summon me?"

"You know why."

"Not really, I'm kinda getting mixed signals here."

Ouch. Sam visibly winced at that, but he got it. Even though it totally wasn't his fault. Gabe should just have let him be happily drunk. He might have ended up doing something he would later have regretted, but he could have enjoyed himself at least for a little while. And that was more than he had had in a month. Ever since...

"My brother is dead."

"So? You want comfort?"

"No. I want him back."

Wasn't that obvious? But as he lifted his eyes, formerly lowered in shame, and met the trickster's, he found only seriousness and pity there.

"This is not my time loop anymore, kid."

"But you can still bring him back!"

"I... Sam, as a trickster-"

"I know you can! You can warp reality!"

"It's not that simple..."

"And you said you could have brought me back. You said so!"

"I did and I meant it, but ...Sam... this is a completely different situation."

"How is this different? It's both just bringing someone dead back to life!"

"No, it's not. You merely died, while Dean was dragged to hell. He is locked away down there. One would first have to retrieve his soul from hell before he could be resurrected."

"Then do that."

"I can't just steal a soul from hell, Sam. That's demon territory."

"But you're a god! You said you could have killed Azazel!"

"Urgh, you're difficult, kid. Yes, I could kill even an extremely powerful demon. But we are talking about countless masses and on their own soil, too!"

"Please. You _could_ do it, right?"

Gabe had looked uncomfortable before, basically since they breached the topic, but now he looked downright wrecked.

"I might be able to do that. Or I could die trying, or get captured and tortured in hell for eternity. But I know for sure that I won't take those odds."

He would probably be successful, with all the power of an archangel, but it would still take too much time to get through and everyone in heaven and hell would know. Which would bring a whole new kind of trouble. Especially if he was right in that heaven wanted this. If not, heaven could have prevented the deal or faked it by killing the demon and sending an angel instead. Bringing innocent little Sammy back could have been accomplished by any damn foot soldier.

But no, the righteous man was in hell and those bastards up in heaven were taking their sweet time in rescuing him. He knew Michael better than that. This had to be on purpose. So risking himself to get Dean out prematurely? Pfft. Michael could and probably would have him imprisoned on charges of blasphemy if he tried to stop their execution of God's plan. And what use would that be to Sam? Or anyone really.

No, he definitely wouldn't go there. But then he turned his attention outward again and saw Sam. Sam with his huge glistening eyes. He looked like he was about to cry. Desperate with a side of bitterness. That was not good. Oh, that was not good at all. Knowing the Winchesters, bitterness could turn into grim determination in a hartbeat. And that meant stupid ideas.

Heck, Dean had condemned his soul to eternity in hell - for all that he knew - just to get one more year with his brother. There was no telling what Sam would do to get Dean back. He had the alcoholism and summoning a pagan deity that enjoyed killing people down already. What more would the heartbroken hunter get up to if he left him like this?

He had to do something.

"Hey, just... just have a little patience, alright?"

"What for? Gabe, why patience?"

Gabriel cursed his stupid feelings for the boy. He shouldn't have revealed that. But ignorance was not always bliss, sometimes it was torture. Like this time. And now that Sam knew that there was something he didn't know, he wouldn't rest until he knew what it was. Oh what the hell. He had gone too far anyway, what did it matter if he went that bit further now. Sam would find out soon enough anyway.

"You just have to be patient, because Dean is being rescued as they speak."

"What?! How? Who? When can I see him?!"

"Woah, woah, hold your horses, big boy. I just said he was in the process of being rescued. But don't get me wrong, he probably won't be back today or tomorrow or even next week, he's in deep and it could take months to retrieve him from hell... But he will be back without you having to do anything."

"But ho- who...?"

"Angels."

Angels. Angels. It wouldn't roll off his tongue, it tasted too foreign, and he remembered his debate with Dean about them quite clearly. He had thought that there was an angel. But then it was just the restless ghost of a priest. True, Dean had said that he had seen something that looked like the will of god, but... He hadn't really recovered his belief in them since.

"They don't exist."

"Actually, bucko, they do."

"If they did, why didn't they ever help or do anything before?"

"Because they're lazy ass jerks."

"What?!"

Sam just about did a double take at the trickster crude words, but he seemed quite content with his description. You really had to be a god to sound so nonchalant when calling angels jerks. And at his reaction, Gabe just rollen with eyes with a dramatic sigh and took on a patronizing tone:

"You people romanticize them too much. They're no fluffy-winged kids leaping across the clouds and playing harps as they sing beautiful chants of praise for their god. Angels are the servants of heaven. And for many of them, that means that they are warriors. There are some serious badasses up there. But they're not friendly or kind. They serve and that's all they care about. Angels can destroy cities without blinking an eye if they are ordered so. But they really do need to be ordered first. Sit them down in a corner and they'll still be sitting there a century later, awaiting orders."

"Huh. You serious?"

"Yup, totally. Even I wouldn't joke about who has the greatest army in all of existence. And demons might be quite the horde, but angels are far beyond their power as they charge and extremely hard to kill."

"...How do you even know them? Aren't you kind of... from different religions?"

"I know, because it's my MO: Knocking pompous douchbags off their high horses. And it doesn't get much higher or more pompous than angels. They might be mighty, but they also know it only too well. Arrogant asses. But hey, I always like ruffling people's feathers. Why not literally?"

Wow, that was a lot to take in. And it was another childhood illusion destroyed. But as Gabe saw his spirits sink the pagan's eyes softened and he cautiously neared for a hug.

"It'll be alright. Dean will be back! It's just a matter of time now."

"But then why were you so furious he made the deal if it won't matter?"

"Oh, dear. How do I put this? I was upset, because heaven doesn't do shit for others. It brings Dean back not for you or him, but for its own purposes. Bad things are headed our way, pretty, a terrible fate that was sealed when Dean agreed to go to hell."

"What fate?"

"Sorry, kid, but I can't tell you even more. I've already said too much."

Yeah, he had. And now Sam wanted the rest of it. He shoved him away to break the light hug hard enough that he ended up flat on his back and towering above him now demanded to know what heaven wants to use his brother for.

"Sam..."

"No, tell me! Tell me why I can't just have my brother back and let things be as they used to be! Tell me why after everything, after mom, Jess, dad, after everything we had to go through because of Azazel and then Lilith, we can't just be together again. Just a happy family. Why can't I have my brother back despite him coming back to life. What does heaven want to use him for, damn it!"

He hit the trickster's chest in desperate anger, even though it could do no damage to the god, just to do something and get rid of all that restless energy, and finally he slumped down on his warm chest crying for his brother.

Gabe had been a bit surprised by the outburst, but patiently waited it out and now he brought up his arms again to embrace the larger form of a shaking mess. Sam might bot want him close. But clearly he needed him. Even just to ground himself. It was obvious that there were too many emotions whirling around in his big vulnerable heart for him to handle. Gabriel understood that.

He had been the same after Lucifer's fall. Flipping between whiny, needy and explosively angry at everything and everyone. But no-one had calmed him then. They just declared their former brother a monster and a freak who didn't deserve their love. So Gabriel had lost it completely and run away to forget.

But he could be there for Sam now. Big, trembling, wet Sam. Wet as in crying. But... wait. It wasn't Sam's tears on his neck, it was warmer. It was lips and a tongue, kissing and licking at his neck and jaw. And then he heard the breath of a whisper against his ear:

"I missed you ... I am so alone ... but I hate you."

"It's not that simple though, is it?"

Sam shook his head and kissed him on the lips. He desperately wanted to connect with someone and because his mind was failing at that, his instincts took over. He just wanted - no, he needed - a little happiness for once. How could he blame him for that? Especially when it served them both.

Gabriel had no problem with complying to Sam's obvious wish and his embrace shifted, his hands instead seeking out all the human's curves and edges he had missed so badly. They ventured under his shirt and the waistband of his trousers to seek out that glorious round ass while its owner ground down against him.

He found it, squeezed it and moved over the hard with muscles but soft-skinned globes to venture into the hunter's crack. But he was stopped. A hand pulled his out and placed them both above his head. Had he misinterpreted? But no, Sam's eyes were as hungry as ever as they bored into his.

"I'm not your ignorant little pet anymore."

"But you want it still."

"Yeah, but on my terms."

Gabriel arched his brow in expectation. He liked that growl. And true to his promise, Sam plunged down with fervor to kiss him like he was trying to eat him, sucking his lips into his mouth and biting at them. Then he moved his hands to hold Gabriel's in only one of his and with the other one he started undoing the smaller man's belt.

But said smaller man was still a trickster and his hands might not have been close, but they were still able to snap. Within the blink of an eye, all of Gabe's clothes vanished into thin air. And he sent Sam a huge grin and a wink.

"Minx!"

"Your turn."

"No. And keep your magic silent."

Ooh, the growl again. Deep and vibrating through the broad chest above him. Now the hunter wrenched his naked legs apart and pressed him closer with a hand around his hip, gripping tight enough that it would have left bruises if he were human. It looked like Sam was going to top today.

That was unusual. The archangel didn't really left humans top him. Like ever. But then again, this was the vessel of the devil. It was an unoccupied vessel, so he could still easily get out. But for once in his life on earth, he could maintain the illusion that he couldn't. He had been running from it all for so long. Finally he felt like someone had found him and pinned him down. So he left him and basked in the rough friction of Sam's denim-clad crotch grinding down one his bare organ.

He let him and Sam could have put an animal to shame when his kisses left all across Gabe's chest turned into bites, even pulling at the sensitive flesh of nipples with his bared teeth, and the hand on his hip dug its nails deep into the soft belly beneath him, before bypassing the straining cock that leaked onto it in order to finally free his own. He only just undid the zipper and pushed his boxers down a fraction.

Once his cock was out, pulled the shorter man up so his ass rested on the hunter's spread thighs and rutted against his own erection while his now free hand delved below to find the god's entrance. But when it got there, that hole was already loose enough for several fingers to thrust inside and slick with lube. He didn't have to guess why.

"Did you use magic again?!"

"I wanted speed things up."

"I told you not to."

"But I don't care what you say. You want me to do something or not? Make me!"

His response was a vicious bite to the earlobe, followed by a lick and he could barely think straight anymore.

"Oh, Hell! Yes, Sama- Sammy, do that again! No, don't listen to me. Do what you will. Do what you will to me!"

Fuck, he couldn't wait. But Gabe was stretched and a god anyway... Without another thought, Sam fixated his monster lover with both hands around the hips and pushed in, all the way to the root with just one thrust. The pagan screamed and his hands flew to Sam's shoulders, holding tight and pulling him even closer.

But after that one thrust, Sam first had to wait. If he didn't, he felt, he would shoot instantly. And it would be an unpardonable shame to end this so soon. But his god was not as patient as he had to be. Maybe under different circumstances. But with a huge cock rammed up his ass? Nope. That had to move.

So he whined and writhed around on it and clawed at his lover's shoulder blades, trying to get a grip on something. In the end Sam hardly had a choice. Gabe writhing on his cock was too much friction to ignore it but then it was also not nearly enough for him. He just had to fuck him. And he groaned at the feeling as he pistoned his hips.

How could anyone even feel this good? Gabe could take everything he gave him and still clenched so tightly around him, it was like the god was using his inhuman strength to grip him extra hard. He could barely pull out to push in anew, that hole didn't want him to leave and it let him know, making every vein and ridge of him drag across the creature's inner walls.

As a result, he was panting heavily before the five minutes mark. He really wouldn't last long. So he reluctantly repurposed one hand to pull at his lover's cock, hoping to finish him before he himself exploded inside the other. Neither his hand nor the organ it surrounded were lubricated, by Gabe didn't seem to mind. His eyes had closed and he was breathing through his mouth, which was hanging open like he had no strength left in his jaw to hold it closed.

That was probably true. He spent all his energy to buck into Sam's thrusts and strokes and to hold him, leaving angry red lines on his shoulders where he had gripped to tightly. But the hiss of pain only spurred Sam on and he sped up as much as he could, yanking at the other and rutting him frantically until the god convulsed so hard Sam literally got stuck in him and milked on top.

He had no idea which of them had screamed, but one had. Or both. But he knew he was spent. And not just concerning the seed he had covered his god's insides with. No, his body's entire strength was drained as well. He was glistening with sweat and his stomach was painted white with Gabe's come. And he was boneless. Fr a momet he felt himself shivering...

And then he collapsed. On top of the trickster. But Gabe would be fine. If he needed to breathe at all, he could always remove the weight upon him. He was a god, he'd be alright. Sam really couldn't take care of him now. He was so heavy. Everything was so heavy. The very air of the room was heavy and pressing him down. His limbs... and his eye lids most of all.

 

The angel needed a good long while to recover. That had been more intense than everything else he remembered ever happening on earth. As far as sex was concerned, he mostly played around. He simply enjoyed the ride. But this had not been fun. It had been much deeper.

He would have to think on that. But later. For now he had to push a sasquatch off of him and clean himself up and redress. But he also couldn't leave Sam like that. Sure, he couldn't stay. Things would be awkward at best and most likely filled with accusations. Again. But he also couldn't abandon him.

So he cleaned Sam too and snapped him onto his bed, before carefully tucking him in. And, just because he could, he kissed him on the temple. It made him smile. Seeing his personal man in the street but a beast in the bed - or technically rather on the floor - lying there so peacefully.

Maybe not everything was lost between them. With that thought, he snapped his fingers one last time and was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!  
> Comments are always appreciated.


	3. Inevitable

He didn't regret it.

No, when Sam woke up again after screwing the trickster on his motel room's floor, he didn't regret it. He felt like he should, but he didn't. Even though this time he couldn't have feigned ignorance. He had known what Gabe was when he slept with him. He had known what he had done. Or at least part of it. He had known that it was a monster he was lying with. And he hadn't cared.

And while he wouldn't have called it not caring now, he was resigned. He knew that his lack of guilt was not due to some macho view on fucking the creature this time instead of spreading his legs for it. It was not the different dynamic, the exchange of dominance, that made him accept what he had done this time. It was a deeper understanding.

Jess had died, because she had been a clueless human civilian. Sarah had almost died because she had been a human civilian who had only just glimpsed at the supernatural. Dean had died knowing and a hunter, but still human. Gabe had taken a stake to the heart, twice, and come back again both times. He seemed almost immortal and he watched his back. He knew better than anyone Sam had ever met how the supernatural world worked and how to handle it.

Heck, he was numerous centuries old. Sam might be cursed, everyone around him always dying and usually also because of him, but with Gabe? That would take a miracle to bring him down. So he might just be the one person Sam could be with. The one person Sam would not have to constantly worry about. Perhaps humanity was overrated anyway. It was so fragile.

It was the reason Dean was dead. If only they had been able to stop Lilith. If only _he_ had been able to protect his brother from her. He should have taken Ruby's offer before the due date of Dean's deal. But Lilith was still out there and Ruby's offer still standing.

That day was the first day he called a demon on the phone. He rejected her kisses, the trickster fresh on his mind. But he did not reject her blood. And once it burned through his veins, he imagined what his lover god could do to Ruby if he asked him to. Or maybe if he even just told him about her continued, unwelcome advances.

Would he be jealous? Probably not, but as a god he might be possessive. Would he explode her like he had said he could have exploded Azazel with a snap of his fingers? The demon blood sang in his heart when he imagined watching such a display of power. Or would he be more creative? Maybe make her endure one of his just deserts? Demonic blood filled his cock at the fantasy.

When she was gone, he prayed for his lover again and pounced on him the moment he appeared. It shocked the pagan and Sam thought he saw a flash of grief in his eyes, but he was too focused on getting his cock into that godly ass to care. The trickster didn't complain.

And Sam never heard the whispered 'Lucifer' over the tattoo of demon blood rushing through his ears.

 

Gabriel watched the rest of it like a trainwreck, only a thousandfold. He watched how expertly Sam faked his surprise at Dean's resurrection. He was the only one to notice the milisecond of hesitation before he denied having made a demon deal to get Dean back. Of course he hadn't. How could he have, after all the trickster had told him? But he was drinking demon blood, practising demonic powers and sleeping with a pagan god - as far he knew - which could be argued as being worse.

Oh, yes. Gabriel knew about Ruby. Sam had never told him, probably fearing judgement, but Gabriel was not Dean. He didn't freak out at Sam for using what he had. And he did save lives by pulling demons from their possessed hosts instead of just killing the whole package. But that wasn't it. He just knew that it was not Sam's fault. What was happening was only what was meant to happen.

Call him a fatalist, if you want, but Gabriel was an archangel of the lord. He knew God personally. That could make anyone believe in providence. Which was also the reason why, when Sam decided not to use his powers again after seeing what had become of the Rugaru, he already knew that that was going to fail. But hey, Sam made it until Halloween. So that was something.

That also put an end to their meetings, though. Albeit temporarily. Up until that point, Sam had called him in his dreams every now and then, too scared of Dean discovering them to meet in person, but also not willing to just never see him again. When Gabriel told him that his drinking of demon blood was a matter of fate and thus inevitable, though, Sam was pissed. He wanted to spite him and when he failed and fell back into old habits, it made him angry and he sulked on his own for a while. A long while. But not forever, as Gabriel knew from the start.

It was when angels started dying. After Castiel had snatched Dean away from him, Sam first prayed to the trickster to ask him how it was possible for angels to get killed. He could do it, he admitted, like he could kill demons. But demons couldn't kill angels. They might be technically able to do it, if they could acquire an angel's own blade. But that was nigh impossible even then, a demon would rather die trying, burnt out by the angel's touch, than to succeed in killing several angels before any of them were able to teleport away or call out to their brothers.

To get the jump on angels like that, he told his wide-eyed lover, you'd have to be one of them. He wasn't sure if Sam believed him at first, but he could see his thought process: He had prophesied Dean's resurrection by something I didn't even believe existed and it has come true. He had prophesied a terrible fate and seals are getting broken to free Satan and start the Apocalypse. Now he says angels are killing angels. Well then they probably do. How heavenly.

When an actual prophet of the Lord appeared, it baffled both Sam and his constant watcher. But Gabriel calmed again quickly. It was actually quite obvious: The Apocalypse was imminent and such an important event could hardly not get written down for the future. Sam had more difficulties accepting it. He believed in free will. But the things foretold seemed to be coming true, even when they did the exact opposite, and that was just creepy.

But then Chuck said that he would have sex with Lilith and that was just impossible. It wasn't even that he was trying to be faithful to the trickster or something. He was sure the pagan was screwing about a dozen gods and other humans beside him. After all, they had never discussed exclusivity or what they were to each other now. But he could never sleep with that bitch that had had his brother dragged to hell.

Okay, Gabe had killed Dean the most often and for the longest duration at a time with that Wednesday. He would let that stand. But he had to insist that all of that was just for show and Dean couldn't even remember any of it. Hell, though... Hell haunted him. It had left him weakened. Broken. Just a whimpering shell of his former hunter self. And that was unforgivible.

In the end, he remained right. He didn't sleep with Lilith. But Dean wasn't even happy about that. Nothing could please him these days. Or Gabe for that matter, who was becoming more depressed and fatalistic by the day. And Sam hated that. It was almost like Dean's going to hell had broken him, too.

He was all sullen! How could someone once perpetually cheerful be so sad all the time? It frustrated Sam to no end and left most of their recent meeting ending in Sam just grabbing the god and having his way with him, rough and reckless like an animal each time. Demonic urges rearing, he liked to press him down these days and force him as much as he could. But the trickster never said a bad word about it or raised so much as a finger to stop him. He could have. Easily. But he just let it happen.

Sam didn't know why and high on demon blood he didn't care, either. But Gabriel cried when they kissed. He wanted everything he was given for as long as possible, but the countown loomed ever present in his mind. The number of seals left to be broken was vanishingly small.

 

And then Dean caught him. He saw how Sam increased his powers. And he told Bobby. Gabriel saw the trap before it shut, but he said nothing. The time had come. And when Sam screamed for him to come and free him, he just hung his head in mourning for the lover and brother he was so soon to lose.

He saw Castiel free Sam, too. And he saw him go to Ruby to drink his fill. He saw that first fight between brothers and he watched the demon lead Sam to Lilith. He stood idly by as Sam attacked and killed her, breaking the final seal.

After all, what could he have done? Run in and yelled at him to stop? He could have tried. But he knew too well that he was not the only angel watching. Not even the only archangel. And the other two were both older and stronger than him and wanted this to happen. All of heaven did.

If he had really tried, he might have gotten past Raphael. He could probably have outsmarted him. But Michael could wield too much raw power for Gabriel to outmanouver him, even with his smarts. He would have been dead or imprisoned in heaven before he ever managed to make a difference.

In the end, it was inevitable. And then he saw the blinding light and heard his long lost brother's cry of pure joy as the Cage opened up before his vessel.

Lucifer was free.


End file.
